SLIP INTO THE VORTEX

Multinational ensemble ORESUND SPACE COLLECTIVE has been an active unit since starting up some time after the millennium. With a good handful of official releases and multiple non-official ones, they've catered for the needs of space rock aficionados in a most prolific manner. "Slip Into the Vortex" is their seventh official production, and their second of 2010.

When it comes to space rock, OSC belongs to the category of bands who take an improvisational approach. Rather than crafting compositions and planning them to the minutest detail, live performances and improvisations seems to be their key approach. If they start out with a basic idea or if everything forms as their jams move along I don't know, but at this point they appear to master the art of improvisation on a level many others can envy them.

The 78 minutes of material at hand on this occasion is some of the smoothest and slickest I have come across so far from this act. The drums and bass sets the foundation nicely as always, maintaining momentum and establishing a basic motif, synths and Hammond adds spacey sounds and fluctuating textures expertly and the guitar patterns slowly evolve back and forth between soloing, psychedelic licks and drawn out, resonating notes. Not too many riff patterns this time around though, the arrangements and overall sound on this disc is of a lighter and more subtle nature. The addition of saxophone to the proceedings underlines this, and especially the first half of this album gives this new addition to the sonic palette utilized by Dr. Space and his compatriots lots of space to unfold, resulting in songs with subtle jazz tendencies.

Space rock is still the name of the game though, and while I didn't find this excursion quite as captivating as the ones from the last few years, I believe many space cadets will enjoy this album. If you want to zone out for 80 minutes, and immerse yourself in an inner cosmic journey without ever being disturbed before the journey has reached it's destination, this smooth and subtle production comes across as the perfect spaceship for this task.

They recorded this jams at the Black Tornado Studios in 2008, taken from the same sessions by the way which also filled their vinyl album 'Dead Man In Space'. As usual pulled together by Scott Heller aka Dr. Space, OSC offer an irresistible production once more. I smell a new ambience this time based on an US westcoach touch here and there. Bassist Jocke and Mogens (synth, hammond) are the other remaining members when comparing with the crew which produced the last 2009 album. So we have major changes with the line-up - however this is nothing surprising really. Swedish and Danish psych/space bands are known for providing musicians for this collective quite natural.

The concept stays as it is, since they've started ... to offer groovy timeless improvisations which guide you through diverse galaxies. What is striking at first ... they've included sax player Anders Honoré now ... and the bass playing sounds somewhat differing too, usually very deep toned. Caused by the new guitarists Stefan and Magnus this reminds me of the Greatful Dead somewhere in between surprisingly, featuring slide guitars - as if Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir were temporarily collaborating with this space rock protagonists.

All in all the songs serve an amazing atmosphere - cool, often relaxed, including a jazzy/canterbury going tending towards Gong too. I really thought there was nothing new inspiring to expect after such a bunch of OSC albums - obviously mistaken! Besides the synths playful guitars are generally dominating, the hammond organ appears on rare occasions only, to name the title track which I want to point out especially. Provided with a special suspense they are constantly playing with ups and downs here, certainly the most tricky exemplar.

Slowly but surely I have problems to stay on top of things when it comes to this band ... 'Slip Into The Vortex' is another excellent effort if you are keen on jamming space rock ... what I mean ... if someone asks me ... it's more and more difficult to name one recommendable album in the light of this wide choice. Anyhow, this one is released on Transubstans Records and you can't go wrong, simple as that.